"As even-handed a collaboration as they come, and rooted as much in shared experiences as a continued love (and command) of music... creative synergy that time hasn't had the nerve to erase" ~ The Irish Times
"Long and O’Neill have gone from being the voice of their generation to the voice of 3 generations, and that is some serious feat. A hardy welcome back to these two artists, who are true assets to their country and the music community" ~ The Spill Magazine (Toronto)
"Best of all is the New Order/Bunnymen-esque ‘Far From Home’. In another dimension, it’s a huge hit, and its two authors finally get their deserved houses overlooking the bay with the sports cars in the drive, before O’Neill inevitably overdoes it in a Paris bathtub" ~ HotPress
"A rich and mature sound. A welcome breath of fresh air... captures a shared sense of both nostalgia and optimism with melodies and harmonies that soar assuredly, building on solid orchestration, resonating" ~ Big Takeover Magazine (New York)
"'Strips back New Order's 'Crystal' to portray a fragile character reflecting upon a relationship... more New Order at sunrise than at sunset" ~ Travellers Tunes (UK)
Irish music icons David Long and Shane O'Neill present their 'Dreams Come' EP, a 3-track offering that arrives hot on the trail of their 'Far From Home' EP and video for the title track, which has garnered the duo excellent reviews and radio play in dozens of countries.
The title track features sweet, uplifting melody intertwined with bittersweet lyrics - a seeming nod to a love that could be fraying at the edges. From the beautiful opening chords, right through to the end, it will make you feel like you want more of whatever it is. Love, loss, hope, all of it.
Best known as frontmen of successful 1980’s post-punk / indie rock bands Into Paradise and Blue In Heaven, respectively, now they are together creating invigorating new music.
David Long was the face of 1980s band Into Paradise, who released two albums and several EP’s on legendary British independent label Setanta Records and also one major - Ensign. Their most successful album was their major record label debut, the Adrian Borland-produced 'Churchtown'.
Shane O’Neill fronted Blue In Heaven, who released several singles and demos (including one produced by U2's The Edge) before signing to Island Records in 1985. Their debut album 'All The Gods Men' was produced by Martin Hannett (Joy Division, Magazine, New Order, OMD, Happy Mondays). 1986 brought the 'Explicit Material' LP, produced by Island Records head Chris Blackwell and Eric Thorngren. Their popularity grew as they did the live circuit with U2, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Damned and New Order. The band later reformed in 1990 as The Blue Angels.
Hailing from the same part of Dublin, Long and O'Neill have known each other since they were 6 or 7, when they knocked over Shane’s TV set, fighting over which channel to watch. Their first band was a trio called amuse with David on bass and vocals, Shane on guitar, and Dave Clarke (Warren Zevon, now Hothouse Flowers) on drums. After splitting and doing their separate thing, around 1996 they recorded an album as Supernaut.
Recorded remotely during the lockdown, this release previews their 'Moll & Zeis' LP, which will be released in autumn.
"We wanted to make an album that could and should be listened to all the way through. It was an equal collaboration, Shane and myself have known each other so long that there was never a problem editing each other if something didn't fit with the song. We had no time restrictions, or release dates to go by, so we took our time with this album and thought about every aspect of it," says David Long.
As of August 13, the 'Dreams Come' EP will be available across online platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where the 'Far From Home' EP can also be found. The full 'Moll & Zeis' album will be released everywhere digitally on September 10.
CREDITS
Written, arranged, recorded and produced by David Long & Shane O'Neill
Album Cover Art by Noel Farrell
Country Pylon Recordings 2021
Keep up with David Long and Shane O'Neill
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